System for the control of multiple transmissions in a multi-combination vehicle

ABSTRACT

A system is provided for the control of two transmissions in a multi-combination vehicle having at least two engines, each engine operatively coupled to one transmission. Each transmission has its own electrical power source and an electronic control unit. The system includes an electronic gear selector having a power input and a variable output representative of a desired operation of each of the transmissions. The system further includes a gear selector control module that is provided power from each of the electronic control units and selectively provides power to the power input of the electronic gear selector from a selected one of the electronic control units. The variable output of the electronic gear selector is in communication with at least the selected one of the electronic control units. The electronic gear selector further includes a display for displaying diagnostic codes from an electronic control unit, the selector selectively displaying diagnostic codes form the electronic control unit that it is provide power from. In other embodiments, the system of the present invention is effective for the control of multi-combination vehicles having at least three engines.

This application claims priority based on 35 U.S.C. 365(c) fromPCT/AU02/00668 filed May 24, 2002, which is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to transmission control systems and,more particularly, to a system for the control of multiple transmissionsin a multi-combination vehicle, such a multi-combination vehicle beingparticularly useful in hauling mined payload from mines.

2. Related Art

Operators of mines are constantly searching for ways to reduce the costsassociated with mined products. One of the most significant costs inoperating a mine is transporting the mined material from the ore face toa processing plant. This is exacerbated when the mined payload is of lowgrade, that is, the desired mineral or metal is only a small percentageby weight and/or volume of the mined ore so that substantial amounts ofore have to be handled to extract a small percentage of desiredmaterial. A further problem that occurs is where the ore has to behandled several times.

There are several ways that ore can be transported from the ore face tothe processing plant, depending on the type and configuration of themine.

Underground mines typically have a central lifting or winding shaft tobring the mined ore to the surface. These shafts require a dedicatedreceival point. To get the ore to that point mines typically have adedicated rail system that is level and route specific. Underground minehaulage or dump trucks are used to transport the ore from various mininglevels both above and below the rail haulage level to the dedicated rialsystem that then transports the ore to the lifting shaft receival point.The trucks are always a single unit that is either rigid or pivot steer.This type of arrangement has a number of distinct disadvantages.

The dump trucks cause a significant amount of hot air per ton of orehauled to be exhausted into the mine. Cold ventilation air has to becontinually pumped into the mine via ventilation shafts, and one of themajor costs in establishing underground mines is the construction anddrilling of ventilation shafts. Because of the limitation of currentlyknown dump trucks, the time that they can operate underground islimited, particularly due to excess heat they produce. To reduce theheat, the dump trucks have to move relatively slowly.

A railway system, especially one underground, is relatively expensive toinstall and operate due to the cost of acquiring the locomotive andinstalling the fixed railway system and the associated maintenancecosts. Furthermore the underground railway system being route-specificis not flexible to changes in route without incurring the expense ofinstalling additional railway tracks. As each new mining area opens, itis necessary to incur the cost of installing new track for the railwaysystem, or use the dump trucks as described above whose efficiencydecreases with increasing distances they have to travel.

The central lifting or winding shaft is quite expensive, the costrunning into tens of millions of dollars and is of a fixed location. Asthe mine expands the distance from the ore face to the central shaftbecomes important in the cost of operating the mine.

In some instances mines have utilized conveyor belts instead of therailway system and/or the lifting shaft. The difficulty with conveyorbelts is that once again they are route specific, are quite expensive toinstall and maintain. Miners are also concerned that the belts may catchfire that would starve the area of oxygen.

In some instances the dump trucks may be used to transport the oredirectly above ground. Because of the limitations described above,especially low speed and the heat they produce and with the inclinationwithin underground mines generally being constant, the depth of a minethat can be realistically accessed by these dump trucks is thereforelimited, typically to a depth of hundreds of metres.

When the ore has been transported to the surface, or in the case of anabove ground mine, it is then necessary to transport the ore to acentral processing plant.

One of the ways that this may be accomplished is by using conventionaloff-highway dump trucks than can either be a single rigid, pivot steerunit or an articulated vehicle consisting of a very short wheelbaseearthmoving type or tractor unit coupled to a single hauled or carryingunit and virtually job specific. These units are designed to be a linkin the chain of the actual mining, digging or producing the any product.Their main function is to move product literally from the ore face to areceival point through the shortest possible distance are notroute-specific. The shorter the route the more economical they are,conversely, their ton of ore transported per distance costs increasedramatically over longer routes. They are therefore not suitable forhauling ore great distances, thereby limiting the distance that ore canbe transported at a reasonable cost. As such, these trucks are notsuitable when there may be satellite mines, that is, mines that are somedistance away from the processing plant. In particular, these truckshave never been designed to be a transportation system for variousreasons including the following:

-   -   (a) Their axle loadings are extreme and require appropriate        roading and bridging. Wheeled or articulated dump trucks with        large tires carry a significant loading per axle, up to 33 tons        per axle.    -   (b) These types of trucks are designed for hauling loads over        relatively short distances and rough terrain, have relatively        large tires for relatively slow speed operation and are        relatively expensive to operate and maintain due to fuel and        tire costs.    -   (c) They produce too much heat in both their drive trains and        tires. Furthermore they have poor power-to-weight ratios and low        operating efficiencies.    -   (d) Their mass requires a large vehicle cross-section both in        height and width.    -   (e) Their discharge methods are either: direct end-tip        (non-captive) where the center of gravity is always raised, or        bottom-dump in the single articulated hauling vehicle that keeps        the center of gravity down but is discharge-captive.

An alternate way of transporting the ore to a central processing plantincludes conventional transportation systems such as conveyor beltsystems and rail systems, both routes being captive. Problems with thesesystems have been discussed above.

Another way of transporting the ore is by using highway-type roadvehicle combinations or multi-combination vehicles. These vehicles arelimited by their horsepower, tractive or braking efforts or capacities,manufacturers' ratings of various componentry, directional stabilitybehavior, swept path characteristics, gradability and startability.

As a result, currently known systems for the extraction of ore frommines set limits on the commercial usefulness of mines simply due to thecost of transporting the ore.

As discussed above, multi-combination vehicles such as over-the-roadvehicles are known and include a truck coupled to a plurality oftrailers and converter dollies. Until recently these vehicles haveincluded a single power source, generally a diesel engine, with thevehicles being limited to a payload of some 170 tons, and a gradient notexceeding 5%. These multicombination vehicles, commonly referred to as“road-trains”, have been in use for some time, particularly inAustralia, for the purpose of hauling mined products, or the commoditiesof other industries, over aboveground roadways. Conventional abovegroundroad-trains are typically designed for use at relatively high speed andon relatively flat ground. They are limited by their horse power,tractive or braking efforts and their capacities that are defined bymanufacturers ratings, directional stability behavior, swept pathcharacteristics, gradability and startability. Accordingly they havelimited uses for operation in mines.

The location of the mechanical couplings between each adjacent pair ofvehicles in a multi-combination vehicle as described above is positionedto maintain the side-to-side sway, or yaw, of the last vehicle withinacceptable limits for above-ground, over-the-road applications. Thelocation is not compatible for operation within an underground mine dueto the relatively low operating speeds as well as the relatively narrowtunnels and small radius bends found in underground mines.

Specially configured multi-combination vehicles have been developedrecently which have a significantly reduced swept path width as comparedto conventional aboveground road-trains. This enables these vehicles tobe used to transport various payloads such as mined ores, over theroadways existing in an underground mine. U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,801 issuedon May 16, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,269 issued on Mar. 26, 2002,each expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety,describe these specially configured multi-combination vehicles which maybe used in underground mines. The vehicles can operate in a tunnelsystem with restricted height, width, swept paths and directional pathand can comply with a predetermined behavior pattern obviating the needfor the rail or conveyor system.

Even after the advent of the foregoing specially configuredmulti-combination vehicles, various operational problems remained to besolved with regard to the transport of mined ores, in both undergroundand aboveground applications. For instance, due to the heavy loads ofthe road-train combination, the traction provided by the powered wheelsof a road-train, usually provided to two rear axles, was insufficient tosatisfactorily negotiate the gradients associated with the declinesproviding ingress and egress to and from some underground mines.Alternatively, these declines into underground mines would have to beconstructed at a much gentler slope leading to excessively long tunnels.In addition, the relatively low speed of the road trains underground dueto the size of the tunnels and safety considerations results inroad-trains traveling underground for a significant length of time, evenup to an hour in some cases. This places strain on the road-traincooling system, which is typically designed for abovegroundroad-trains-travelling at significant speeds, generally around 80 km/hand the engines are prone to overheating.

Also, before the introduction of multi-combinational vehiclesincorporating a power trailer (i.e., one having a source of motivepower), which are subsequently discussed in detail, multi-combinationvehicles for dedicated road haulage therefor such as mineral concentratehaulage operated at a 170 ton payload, as noted previously. However,there is a practical limit to the payload of the multi-combinationvehicle with a single truck. Since the cost of haulage is determinedmainly on weight, if one can increase the total haulage that can bemoved by a single vehicle that does not require additional operators,the cost benefit is substantial. This is especially so if ore can behauled directly from within a mine to a processing plant without needingto be reloaded onto another transport system.

In order to further improve multi-combination vehicles and provide evengreater advantages to the operators using these vehicles,multi-combination vehicles have been developed which utilize a truck andan additional motive power source advantageously located within thechassis of a trailer and which include a unique cooling system thatenables operation of the multi-combination vehicle at low speeds, onsteeper gradients and with a greater payload than previously known.International Patent Application No. PCT/AU01/01154, expresslyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses amulti-combinational vehicle including a power trailer having an enginethat overcomes the foregoing problems of traction and cooling of suchmulti-combination vehicles. International Patent Application No.PCT/AU01/01568, also expressly incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety, discloses various features that may be incorporated in thedrive trains of multi-combination vehicles of this type. Thesemulti-combination vehicles, which have the ability to traverse differentmining levels, have removed the need for conventional dump truck haulagefrom the ore face to the rail head, and also have enabled the vehicle tohaul ore directly from the ore face from any underground level via anaccess tunnel directly to a processing plant, thereby eliminating theneed for the lifting shaft. Furthermore, these types ofmulti-combination vehicles coupled with specifically configured powertrailers, typically B-double trailers, can be used above ground totransport ore directly to a processing plant eliminating the need forother dump trucks, increasing the total payload from some 170 tons to270 tons whilst staying within the manufacturers rating and at the sametime increasing the general behavior pattern, thereby creating a safermulti-combination vehicle.

Use of a multi-combination vehicle using a truck and a power trailerprovides a further significant advantage over conventional single-enginedump trucks, and over multi-combination vehicles having only a truck.Even if the truck or power trailer transmission were to fail, the secondengine and transmission can be used to at least move themulti-combination vehicle out of the way or even bring it to the surfacefor analysis and repair. As known in the art, in the event of engineand/or transmission failure it is more than a simple exercise toretrieve a single-engine dump truck from the depths of an undergroundmine that is then blocking the underground road from use by othertrucks. A similar problem may exist with multi-combination vehiclespowered only by a single truck, or in some instances a single primemover.

One of the problems in a multi-combination vehicle having twotransmissions is controlling the transmissions so that they do not workagainst each other. Further, current transmissions used not only in dumptrucks but also in multi-combination vehicles include complex ElectronicControl Units that control the operation of the transmissions. Not onlydo they select the optimal transmission gear but they also providediagnostic fault codes that indicate to an operator the operable statusof the transmission. The transmissions are designed to take into accountvarious parameters such as operating temperatures and to effectively goto safe mode if these fall outside predetermined values, safe modetypically being a direct coupling of the transmission, generally onegear below high gear. Whilst the transmissions will still provide powerto the wheels, the driver cannot change gears and once the vehicle slowsdown and stops, as would usually happen over time, the transmissionselects neutral, and the driver simply cannot re-engage thetransmission. The whole vehicle then has to be towed to an appropriatefacility for a full analysis and/or repair of the Electronic ControlUnit or the transmission.

If for whatever reason the transmission were to fall to safe mode andthen to neutral once the vehicle stops, the present invention providesfor the ability for the second engine and its transmission to be able topropel the multi-vehicle combination so that it may be driven to anappropriate repair facility.

The inventor is unaware of any multicombination vehicle, whether it isfor above ground or underground use of the type just described, which iscapable of operating when one of the transmissions has failed.

In view of the foregoing disadvantages and limitations associated withknown load-carrying vehicles, a commercial need exists for an improvedload-carrying vehicle combination for use both aboveground and inunderground mines that overcomes at least some of the abovementionedproblems or provides the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention discloses a control system for use inmulti-combination vehicles that enables operation of themulti-combination vehicle or “road-train” even when one of thetransmissions has failed or is inoperable. This enables the operator ofthe multi-combination vehicle to continue operating the vehicle until itis moved to a safe position. This provides significant operationaladvantages for the operator of the vehicle. According to one aspect ofthe present invention, a system is provided for the control of multipletransmissions in a multi-combination vehicle having at least twoengines, each engine having its own electrical power source and beingdrivingly coupled to one of the transmissions, each of the transmissionshaving an electronic control unit provided power from the respectiveengines power source. According to one embodiment of said presentinvention, the system comprises:

-   -   an electronic gear selector, said electronic gear selector        having a power input and a gear selector output representative        of a desired operation of each of the transmissions;    -   a gear selector module that is provided power from each of the        electronic control units and selectively provides power to said        power input of said electronic gear selector from a selected one        of the electronic control units;    -   said gear selector output of said electronic gear selector being        in communication with at least the selected one of the        transmission electronic control units.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, amulti-combination vehicle is provided. According to one embodiment ofthe present invention, the multi-combination vehicle includes:

-   -   a powered towing unit having a first transmission, said first        transmission including a first power source and a first        electronic control unit;    -   a plurality of trailers, said powered towing unit and said        trailers being mechanically coupled to one another in a series        arrangement;    -   a power trailer having a second transmission, said second        transmission having a second power source and a second        electronic control unit, said power trailer mechanically coupled        in said series arrangement to the plurality of trailers and said        powered towing unit;    -   an electronic gear selector, said electronic gear selector        having a power input and a gear selector output representative        of a desired operation of said first and second transmissions;    -   a gear selector module which is provided power from said        electronic control units of said first and said second        transmissions and selectively provides power to said power input        of said electronic gear selector from a selected one of said        electronic control units;    -   said gear selector output of said electronic gear selector being        in communication with at least said selected one of said        electronic control units.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a left side elevation of a multi-combination vehicle accordingto one embodiment of the present invention, with the vehicleincorporating several vehicle trailers and several power trailers;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a power trailer included in themulti-combination vehicle according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the power trailer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a right hand side elevation view of the power trailer shown inFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a left side elevation of the power trailer shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a left side elevation view of a multi-combination vehicleaccording to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view illustrating an electronic throttlecontrol according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a multi-combination vehicle andthe included system for the control of multiple engines of the vehicle,according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic further illustrating the gear selector controlmodule shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the gear selector control moduleaccording to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG.9; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a system for the control of a multi-combinationvehicle similar to FIG. 8, but with the addition of a third powertrailer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description of the invention refers to theaccompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplaryembodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made tothe embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will beused throughout the drawings and the following description to refer tothe same and like parts.

Turning now to the drawings in detail there is shown in FIG. 1 amulti-combination vehicle 10 including a truck 12 mechanically coupledto a plurality of trailers 14. A power trailer 16 extends from forwardlylocated trailers 14 a and 14 b and a further trailer 14 c is coupled tothe power trailer 16. A second power trailer 18 is coupled to the lasttrailer 14 c. It is however to be understood that the multi-vehiclecombination may include one or more power trailers, depending on theapplication.

The truck 12 includes a chassis or frame 20 and a rear axle assembly 22,which is suspended from and disposed below the chassis 20. Forward axle24 comprises the steering axle of the truck 12. The rear axle assembly22 is suspended from chassis 20 via suspension 26 and includes wheeledaxles 28. Both of the wheeled axles may be driving axles, oralternatively only one is a driving axle. The driving axles may be atridem axle assembly in lieu of the tandem axle assembly 22 and possiblysuspended with a mechanical suspension.

The truck 12 further includes a motive power source 30 and atransmission (not shown) for transmitting torque from the motive powersource 30 to the drive axles 28. Typically the motive power sourcecomprises a diesel engine and the transmission for transmitting torquefrom the engine 30 to the drive axles 28 includes a gear box, a driveshaft, and a differential (not shown). Alternatively, the motive powersource 30 may comprise other types of internal combustion enginesutilizing a variety of fuels.

The truck includes a draw frame 32 attached and rearwardly extendingfrom the chassis 20. A coupling 34 is attached to the rear of the drawframe 32 and connected with a drawbar 36 on the trailer 14 a. A bin 38accommodates payload to be carried by the truck and may be adapted to beside tipping by being hingedly attached to the frame 20 (not shown).

Each of the trailers 14 a, 14 b, and 14 c includes a converter dolly 40and a semi-trailer 42, said semi-trailer having a chassis 44, a forwardend with a coupling system 46 that pivotably attaches to a ball-raceturntable 48 on the converter dolly. This enables the converter dolly topivot relative to the semi-trailer about a generally vertical axis ofrotation passing through the centre of the ball-race turntable. Otherembodiments may however equally well be used, such as an oscillatingball-race turntable or a grease plate. The drawbar 36 is hingedlyconnected through pivot 50 to the chassis 52 of the converter dolly 40and accommodates for any change in the grade of the road surface. Aswith the truck, the trailers 14 a, 14 b, and 14 c, further include drawframes 54 attached and rearwardly extending from the chassis 44. Acoupling 56 is attached to the rear of the trailer draw frames 54 and isconnected with a drawbar 36 on the next trailer or power trailer. A bin58 accommodates payload to be carried by the trailer and may be adaptedto be side-tipping by being hingedly attached to the frame (not shown).Each trailer includes a rear axle assembly 60 typically having threeaxles, the mechanical details of which are well known in the art.

Power trailer 16 is coupled to trailer 14 b using coupling arrangementsas described above. The power trailer 16 includes the same mechanicalfeatures as with the other non-powered trailers 14 a, 14 b, and 14 c,such as semi-trailer 42, with the addition of an engine 62 suspendedgenerally half-way along chassis 70 and a cooling means 64 located atthe front of the power trailer 16 positioned to take into account themovement necessary during a turn. Extending the chassis 66 of the powertrailer dolly 68 enables the addition of the cooling means 64.Alternatively, although not shown, the cooling means 64 may beaccommodated on the front of the chassis 70 of the power trailer byshortening the bin 72 when compared with the bin 58 of a non-poweredtrailer. A transmission system provides motive power to the rear axleassembly 74 of the power trailer 16.

Power trailer 18 also includes engine 62 mechanically coupled to therear drive axle assembly 74 but includes the cooling means 64 located atthe rear of the power trailer thereby eliminating the requirement forthe extra length in the chassis of the dolly as was the case in powertrailer 16 and instead extending the rear 76 of the chassis 70 tosupport the cooling means 64.

Referring to FIGS. 2-5, there is illustrated a power trailer such aspower trailer 18 having the cooling means 64 at the rear end thereof buthaving a double axle rear axle assembly 78. The power trailer includessemi-trailer 42 having a chassis 70 including a rear extension 76. Thechassis 70 includes a pair of longitudinally extending side members 80and a plurality of transverse cross-members (not shown) interconnectingand attached to the side members 80. The rear axle assembly 78 issuspended from chassis 70 typically by air suspension (not shown).Alternatively the semi-trailer 42 may include a conventional mechanicalspring assembly. The side members 80 support or form part of the loadcarrying structure such as bin 72. The load carrying structure may be aside tipping trailer, a stock crate, a fuel tank, or any other type ofstructure for supporting a load. As with the truck and non-poweredtrailers, the power trailer includes a draw frame 82 attached andrearwardly extending from the chassis 70. A coupling 84 is attached tothe rear of the draw frame 82 and connected with a drawbar 36 on thenext trailer or power trailer and may be adapted to be side-tipping bybeing hingedly attached to the chassis 70 (not shown).

The rear axle wheel assembly 78 includes wheeled axles 86. Extendingabove said wheeled axles are members 88 that may be used to supportmudguards and the like 90. The wheeled axles 86 include a plurality oftires 92 mounted thereon for supporting the semi-trailer as it travelsover a road surface.

Mounted within chassis 70 is a motive power source or engine 62suspended generally centrally between the side members 80 and centrallywithin the chassis 70. A transmission 94 provides driving power from theengine 62 to the axle assembly 78 where one or more of the wheeled axles86 may be driven. The engine is typically a diesel engine and may beadvantageously include a turbocharger (not shown). To be able to fit theengine 62 in between the side members 80, the separation between theside members 80 is generally larger than that conventionally found onexisting semi-trailers. However, the standard width of the wheeled axlesis kept the same to keep the vehicle roadworthy. This has necessitatedmounting the power trailer suspension under the side members rather thanon their side. The engine 62 is supplied with combusting air through anair inlet 96. The air is then fed through to the engine via air pipe 98and through appropriate filters. Exhaust gases are vented from theengine through exhaust outlet 100.

The cooling means 64 includes a radiator 102 to assist in cooling theengine by using an appropriate cooling fluid or coolant. In thisparticular advantageous embodiment the engine cooling means or theradiator 102 is mounted at the rear of the power trailer on top of frameextension 76 that extends further rearwardly from the chassis 70.Typically, the length of the frame would be extended to accommodate theradiator positioned along the frame. However, the frame may very wellremain the same length as in conventional trailers, but the length ofthe bin 72 would be shortened to provide sufficient space to accommodatethe radiator.

The radiator 102 includes coolant coils mounted in a housing 106. An airfan 108 is mounted behind coils and is driven to draw air through thecoils. Located in front of the coils is a grill 110 to offer someprotection to the coils from damage by debris. The air fan 108 typicallyincludes a hydraulic motor 112 driven by the supply of hydraulic fluidthrough conduits 114 and 116. The air fan 108 is also housed in aprotective grill 118 and is supported in position by support bars 120extending between the top and bottom of the housing 106.

Coolant is supplied to the radiator through inlet pipe 122 and back tothe engine through outlet pipe 124. The significant distance between theradiator and the engine means that the length of pipes transporting thecoolant is quite long. This in itself provides an advantage in that thevolume of coolant for the engine system has been greatly increased ascompared to conventional engine designs where the radiator is located infront of the engine. The volume of the pipes effectively acts as a largecoolant store.

Located around the engine are various compartments 126 and 128 thathouse the necessary control and sensing equipment for the engine such asengine starting controls and diagnostic instruments. Typically thesesystems include communication means with the truck so that the driver iskept advised as to the general status of the power trailer engine.

Power trailer fuel tanks 130 are located above the right hand side ofthe rear axle assembly 78 and act as pseudo mudguards. Side-tippinghydraulic arms 132 and 134 are provided at the front and rear of the binrespectively whilst arms 136 and 138 control opening the side of the bin72.

FIG. 6 illustrates a multi-combination vehicle 135 wherein instead of apower-trailer as illustrated earlier, there is at least one “B-double”trailer 137 incorporating a power trailer 140 coupled to a trailer 142.The trailer 142 includes a rear axle assembly 144 that acts as a dollyfor the power trailer 140. Power trailer 140 includes a tri-axle rearaxle assembly 146, the configuration of the other components beingsimilar to those described earlier and well known in the art. Rear axleassembly 144 is a quad-axle assembly. It is however to be understoodthat the assembly may have less axles than shown, such as a tri-axleassembly. A B-double trailer 137 configuration has been found to provideimproved directional stability. In the case of a long multi-combinationvehicle, this enables the operator to assemble a multi-combinationvehicle having a total combination of approaching up to 10 trailers andpower trailers.

The above description illustrates a multi-combination vehicle 135 havingmultiple power trailers and a single prime mover or truck. We nowdiscuss the operating control systems of such a multi-combinationvehicle. For ease of understanding we will discuss an embodiment wherethere is only one truck and one power trailer. It is however to beunderstood that the control system may equally well apply to one or morepower trailers and it is not intended to limit the present applicationto a multi-combination vehicle having only one power trailer.

The throttle control of the engines of a truck and the power trailerdepend on the configuration of the transmission system of the truck andthe transmission system of the power trailer. Since a driver would notbe able to control manual transmission systems of two engines, thetransmission system of the power trailer is an automatic one.

Each of the engines includes engine on-board computer managementsystems, which not only measure a number of parameters such as thetorque, fuel injected, and the engine rpm's (revolutions per minute) butalso enable a throttle input to be used to drive the engine. Whilst itsown throttle may control each engine separately those skilled in the artwould appreciate the difficulty of controlling such a multi-combinationvehicle where there were separate throttles and typically the powertrailer engine is operated assuming a load all the time, that is, “flatout”. This is undesirable for many reasons including stability of themulti-combination vehicle as well as fuel consumption.

If the truck transmission system is a manual one then there must beseparate throttle controls since the gearing of the transmission systemswould work against each other. However in the case where the engine andtransmission system configuration of both the truck and the trailer areautomatic, it has been discovered by the present applicant that such aconfiguration may be controlled by one throttle unit 148 only asillustrated in FIG. 7.

The throttle unit, or electronic throttle control 148 includes a pedal150 pivoted at 152 on a base 154. A biasing means 156 having a rotatablewheel 158 is pivotably attached to the pedal and rotates along arm 160to provide resilience for the pedal in operation. Attached to the sideof the pedal is a housing 162 housing a potentiometer, a shaftoperatively connecting the pedal 150 and the potentiometer so that asthe pedal is depressed the potentiometer is rotated, thereby providing avariable voltage output.

Illustrated in FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a multi-combinationvehicle and system, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, for the control of multiple engines of the multi-combinationvehicle. The throttle pedal is electronically connected through cablecluster 164 to a throttle control module (TCM) 166 and is typicallyprovided with power from a truck engine control module (ECM) 190. Asdiscussed above, should the truck engine and its power system fail forwhatever reason, an alternative source of power needs to be provided tothe electronic throttle control 148 to enable the operator to provide athrottle input to the power trailer engine. The TCM 166 enables theoperator to select and alternate power source for the electronicthrottle control 148 so that the multi-combination vehicle can still bedriven even if one of the engines were to fail. This ability allows themulti-combination vehicle to be at the very least moved out of the wayso that other vehicles may use a roadway and at best still deliver anyload and be driven to an appropriate area for repair.

With reference to FIG. 8, a first vehicle, typically truck 168 includesengine 170 providing power through transmission system 172 to driveshaft 174 and onto rear axle assembly 176. The truck 168 is mechanicallycoupled via coupling 178 to power trailer 180 having engine 182providing power through transmission system 184 to drive shaft 186 andonto rear axle assembly 188.

Each of the engines has an associated Engine Control Module (ECM), ECM190 coupled to engine 170, and ECM 192 coupled to engine 182. Similarlyeach transmission has an associated Engine Control Unit (ECU), ECU 194coupled to transmission 172, and ECU 196 coupled to transmission 184.The ECM and ECU unit of each vehicle are connected to the vehicles'power supply.

As discussed earlier, the electronic throttle control (or pedal 150) 148is operatively connected to throttle control module (TCM) 166 andincludes a ground 198 a, power 200 a, and variable throttle output 202a. The TCM is operatively coupled to the ECM 190 of the truck and ECM192 of the power trailer. The truck ECM 190 associated with truck 168 isconnected with the TCM to provide power 200 b, a common ground 198 bwhilst receiving the throttle pedal output 202 b. Similarly the powertrailer ECM 192 associated with power trailer 180 is connected with theTCM to provide power 200 c, a common ground 198 c whilst receiving thethrottle pedal output 202 c. Selector switch 204 selects the power inputthat is fed through the TCM 166 to the electronic throttle control 148,that is, whether electronic throttle control 148 receives power from ECM190 or ECM 192. A warning system, such as a buzzer and/or light 220(FIG. 9) is operatively coupled to the selector switch 204 to indicateto an operator when the present configuration of the TCM 166 has failed.

Typically, power is fed from ECM 190 of the truck to TCM 166, althoughit is to be understood that power may alternatively be supplied from ECM192 to TCM 166. If ECM 190 senses serious engine problems, such as hightemperature or low coolant, ECM 190 shuts the engine 170 down. Theoperator then operates switch 204 in the event of the power from ECM 190dying (or limited to battery power) which will re-route power comingfrom ECM 192 through TCM 166 and to the electronic throttle control 148to replace the power that previously came from ECM 190 to the electronicthrottle control 148 through the TCM 166.

When ECM 190 stops providing power and power is not re-routed from theECM 192, the power trailer engine 182 will also power down since it willnot receive any variable output from the electronic throttle control148.

Although not shown it is to be understood that various visual and audioindicators may be provided to the operator regarding the status of theECM's 190 and 192 and electronic throttle control 148 as well as switch204 at any time. It is to be further understood that switch 204 may alsobe used to control the display of various parameters from the engine ECMthat supplies power to the electronic throttle control 148.

In the event a power take off (PTO) is required, PTO switch 206 coupledto the TCM 166 ensures that the variable throttle output of ETC 148 isdisconnected from the ECM to which the PTO is related and the enginespeed is limited to a speed less than the maximum speed. The PTO istypically selected when power is needed and the vehicle is not moving,such as when the vehicle is unloading. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the selector switch 204 is typically an electric switchand the PTO switch 206 typically a pneumatic switch.

One can now appreciate that a single electronic throttle control can beused to operate two engines in a parallel type of arrangement. That is,the engines do not communicate with each other but rather independentlyfrom the one electronic throttle control 148. When the ECM of eitherengine is inoperative, it is not fatal if they are still provided athrottle control signal (i.e. variable throttle output) 202 a. Underthose circumstances, signals 202 b and 202 c may be coupled togetheroutside of the TCM 166 through connection 208.

A Gear Selector Control Module 210 (GSCM) is operatively connected tothe ECU of both the truck 168 and the power trailer 180 throughconnections 212 a and 212 b respectively. The GSCM enables the operatorto control both transmissions with a single gear selector panel (GSP)214, allowing the operator to select any gear, neutral or reverse. TheGSCM eliminates the possibility of an operator selecting a gear on asingle transmission only, the GSCM enabling the operator with oneselection to select the nominated gear in both transmissions 172 and184.

The GSCM 210 is provided with power from either the truck ECU 194 or thepower trailer ECU 192 which then powers the GSP 214. Selector switch 204is also operatively coupled to the GSCM 210. By selecting theappropriate position on switch 204, power is fed from the power trailerECU 196 instead of the truck ECU 194 to the GSP 214.

As discussed earlier, if the ECU of a transmission senses a fault itsends the transmission to a safe mode, typically a mode where thetransmission remains locked in a direct gear, generally one below high,until the vehicle stops, when the transmission then falls into neutralwhilst at the same time locking the GSP 214 and making it inoperable.Under such a circumstance, the selector switch 204 selects power fromthe trailer ECU 196 instead of the truck ECU 194 thereby ensuring thatthe GSP is operable, the GSP then being able to control the transmissionof the trailer ECU.

This enables a vehicle having multiple transmission where one of thetransmissions is in neutral to be drivable. Otherwise, the GSP would belocked into the neutral position and the vehicle would be unmovablesince both of the transmissions would be in neutral.

GSP connection 216 includes a large number of independent wires thatcarry signals. Some of these signals can be provided directly to andfrom either ECU 194 or 196 and accordingly these can bypass the GSCM 210since they do not affect the operation of the GSP even if one of thetransmissions is in fault. These signals may include common data bits.The gearshift selector displays are selected via the GSCM 210. Othersignals 218 that relate to the provision of power and sensor power andother transmission-specific data have to be alternatively selectedthrough the GSCM 210 and are then appropriately provided to the ECU's,signal 212 a feeding ECU 194 and signal 212 b feeding ECU 196.

FIG. 9 illustrated in more detail the operation of the GSCM 210 and GSP214. The GSP 214 includes a number of inputs and outputs such asignition input 222 and two outputs 224 and 226 related to the backgroundlighting of the GSP. A number of other connections are wired in parallelto both the truck ECU 194 and trailer ECU 196 including data bit 228,data bit 230, data bit 232, data bit 234, parity 236, and shift selectormode input 238. General purpose output 240 is connected to truck ECU 194only.

Four connections from the GSP 214 are coupled to the GSCM 210 and arealternatively selected by the relays in the GSCM to be connected to thetruck ECU 194 or the trailer ECU 196.

Relay 242 operatively connects the GSM's power input line 244 to theECU's, relay 246 connects the sensor power line 248 to the ECU's, relay250 connects the shift selector display line 252 to the ECU's, and relay254 connects power return line 256 to the ECU's. In the relaxed positionof GSCM 210, as illustrated in FIG. 9, these four lines 244, 248, 252,and 256 are operatively coupled to the truck ECU 194, whilst in theenergized position they are operatively connected to the trailer ECU196. Diagnostic information from the ECU that powers the GSP may bedisplayed on display 215.

Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that the GSP 214 isprovided with power from either ECU 194 or ECU 196 depending on theselector switch 204. If for whatever reason one of the ECU's fails tofunction properly, the operator may select the other ECU to providepower to the GSP and operate that other functioning ECU as normal,ensuring that the transmission coupled to the functioning ECU does notenter safe mode which, combined with the failure of the other ECU, wouldcause the vehicle to be totally inoperable.

It is also to be understood that although the selector switch 204 hasbeen shown to be operatively coupled to both the TCM 166 and the GSCM210, there could very well be two separate switches controlling the TCM166 and GSCM 210 independently.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the logic behind the operation ofthe GSCM 210. If the Truck Ignition Power is “On” (see block 258), acheck is performed to see if the Truck Ignition Circuit is OK (see block260). If the Truck Ignition Circuit is OK (see “Yes” block 262), theGear Selector Panel 214 is supplied with power. The question is thenwhether the GSCM relays are energized (see block 264). If the GSCMrelays are not relaxed (see block 266), then there is no result (seeblock 268). If the GSCM relays are relaxed (see “Yes” block 270), thenpower to the GSCM 210 (and thence through the relays to GSP 214) isprovided from the truck ECU 194 (see block 271).

If the truck ignition is not OK (see “No” block 272), the question iswhether the emergency switch is On or Off (see-block 274). If the switchis Off (see block 276) the system has not been activated. If the switch204 (see block 274) is On (see block 278), the question is then whetherthe GSCM relays are energized (see block 280). If the relays have notbeen energized (see block 282), then there is no result (see block 284).If the relays have been energized (see “yes” block 286), then power tothe GSCM 210 (and thence through the relays to GSP 214) is fed from thetrailer ECU 196 power supply (see block 287).

Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that when the GSCM relaysare relaxed, power is supplied from the truck ECU 194 to the GSP 214,whilst when the relays are energized, power to the GSP 214 is providedby the trailer ECU 196.

The GSP 214 further includes a display unit 215 (FIG. 9) that providesthe operator of the vehicle with information as to the current state ofthe transmission that is connected to the GSP 214 by GSCM 210. Theemergency switch 204 also affects this so that the display 215 on theGSP 214 relates to the transmission of that vehicle that supplies powerto the GSP.

Referring further to FIG. 10, the GSP 214 provides both the trucktransmission ECU shift select input (see block 288) to the truck ECU194, and the trailer transmission ECU shift select input (see block 290)to the trailer ECU, whilst the GSCM 210 provides to GSP 214, dependingon the position of the switch 204, the truck transmission ECU powerinputs and provides diagnostic request (see block 292, or the trailertransmission ECU power input and diagnostic request (see block 294).

If the truck shift select input (see block 288) and the truck ECU powerinput (see block 292) are both present and received (as indicated byblock 296), then the truck transmission gear is selected (as shown inblock 298), otherwise if the trailer shift select input (see block 290)and the trailer ECU power input (see block 294) are present and received(as indicated by block-300), then the trailer transmission gear isselected (as shown in block 302).

Illustrated in FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a truckoperatively coupled to two power trailers. As was the case for FIG. 8,the TCM 166, and GSCM 210 enable power to be supplied from one of thethree separate units, the power initially being supplied by the truckECU 194.

It is to be understood that reference in the present specification to apower source may include a battery that is connected in series to thepower source of the engines, the engine power sources feeding thebattery that than links to the various modules and control units.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present inventioncomplements and further enhances the multi-combination vehicles whosedetails were described in the United States and InternationalApplications discussed earlier and that provide significant advantagesand cost savings when hauling ore.

Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the presentinvention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention hasbeen shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practicaland preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be madetherefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not tobe limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded thefull scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devicesand apparatus.

1. A multi-combination vehicle, comprising: at least first and second transmissions, said first transmission including a first electronic control unit, said second transmission including a second electronic control unit; at least first and second engines, said first engine being coupled to said first transmission, said first engine including a first electrical power source adapted to provide first power to said first electronic control unit, said second engine being coupled to said second transmission, said second engine including a second electrical power source adapted to provide second power to said second electronic control unit; an electronic gear selector, said electronic gear selector being in communication with said first and second transmissions, said gear selector including a power input and a gear selector output; and a gear selector module, said gear selector module being provided third power from at least one of said first and second electronic control units, said gear selector module being adapted to provide fourth power to said gear selector power input. 2-9. (canceled)
 10. The multi-combination vehicle of claim 1, wherein said gear selector output is representative of an operation of at least one of said first and second transmissions.
 11. The multi-combination vehicle of claim 1, wherein said fourth power is provided from a selected one of said first and second electronic control units.
 12. The multi-combination vehicle of claim 1, wherein said gear selector module includes a manual switching device, said manual switching device being adapted to selectively provide said third power from a selected one of said first and second electronic control units.
 13. The multi-combination vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first transmission includes a first mode and said second transmission includes a second safe mode.
 14. The multi-combination vehicle of claim 13, wherein said first electronic control unit is in communication with said first engine and is adapted to sense at least a first engine fault, said first electronic control unit being further adapted to place said first engine in said first safe mode upon sensing said first engine fault.
 14. The multi-combination vehicle of claim 13, wherein said second electronic control unit is in communication with said second engine and is adapted to sense at least a second engine fault, said second electronic control unit being further adapted to place said second engine in said second safe mode upon sensing said second engine fault. 